Over the course of three evenings, Ven. Robina Courtin will examine how to loosen the grip of ego-grasping by understanding dependent arising, the best method for realizing emptiness.

Lama Tsongkhapa writes lyrically about Lord Buddha’s teachings on dependent arising. As Lama Yeshe puts it, dependent arising is the “king of logics” to prove emptiness. With this perfect view, Je Rinpoche says, we can never “fall into the abyss of the great mistake” of nihilism, one of the commonest misconceptions about emptiness. Over three evenings, we will investigate how in his gradual path literature he skillfully leads us to the eradication of ego-grasping, the primordial assumption of a fear-driven, bereft, separate self, which simply doesn’t exist. We start by applying the law of karma – an example of the first level of dependent arising: cause and effect - which gradually counteracts our pervasive feelings of hopelessness and self-pity, causing us to realize that we are the source of our own happiness and suffering.

Please note that there will be a short tea break around 8:30pm each session.

About Teacher​Since being ordained as a Buddhist nun in the late 1970s, Ven. Robina has worked full-time for Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche's FPMT. Over the years she has served as editorial director of Wisdom Publications, editor of Mandala Magazine, executive director of Liberation Prison Project, and as a touring teacher of Buddhism. Her life and work with prisoners have been featured in the documentary films Chasing Buddha and Key to Freedom.

Je Tsongkhapa Lobsang Drakpa (1357- 1419) was one of the greatest figures in the history of Tibetan Buddhism and the founder of the Gelug tradition.

The year 2019 marks the 600th anniversary of Lama Tsongkhapa's parinirvana. Tse Chen Ling will be offering a series of programs that celebrate the life and lineage of Lama Tsongkhapa. These programs will reflect the core teachings and unique features of the Gelug tradition.